You're the Church. Young people are leaving in droves. What do you do?

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I’m certainly no expert. But even when still a Baptist and an “omega”—what we called high school upperclassmen leaders in youth groups—when we were fielded for what the church should do to draw in more youth, I was arguing for more tradition. More traditional practice, music, catechesis (though I certainly didn’t call it that); perhaps I was a proto-Catholic. Anyway, I was the only one doing so.
Everyone else there was also an “omega,” basically groomed for leadership for our whole high school career, so we were already invested, regardless of the music or light shows or dumb games before the lessons. But I believe, had our congregation ALWAYS been traditional and orthodox, not nearly so many of us would’ve fallen away. A good 70% of the youth, from the time I got there in sixth grade to leaving for another Baptist congregation in my junior year, just dropped out. No move somewhere else, just poof, no more attendance.
Perhaps the only reason I’m still a Christian now is our grade’s guys’ growth group leader, who challenged US with his traditionalism and orthodoxy. Or, as much as a Baptist can have, anyway.
What we need is deeply traditional and more competent catechesis. More traditional masses. Angels assist at every mass! Chant is more suited to it than Casting Crowns, MercyMe, or “Go Make A Difference,” all of which I’ve heard far more than I should at a moment at which heaven and earth meet and saints watch on in awe.
Basically, give Taylor Marshall and Tim Gordon, Bishops Burke and Strickland, Cdls. Schneider and Sarah, Pat Coffin, a conference all to their own; implement whatever they say.
 
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I’m also not sure why yours was flagged. Perhaps some misinterpreted you saying people don’t trust the Church with kids as saying the Church shouldn’t be trusted with kids. But I don’t think that’s what you mean. It’s a perfectly valid point
 
I have been flagged twice today. Your post did not deserve to be flagged. Repost it!🙏
 
The Catholic hierarchy depended for many, many years on cultural pressure and tradition to keep people in the faith. We live in a skeptical age. No longer do people accept ideas unquestioningly. People want to know WHY they should believe ideas, not just WHAT ideas to believe. The laity must be taught WHY.
 
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I think that you need to spread the message about the faith. Have you thought about perhaps being involved in a ministry to bring others with your cross to the Catholic Church? You could encourage them to accept that acts they commit can not ever be approved, and that they should let go of this identity involving their cross and embrace the beauty of chastity.

I assume that you are not hoping to find a companion who also shares your cross? That may be a near occasion of sin but I would consult with a priest.

Do not be discouraged by those who may try to lure you back to this lifestyle. You are worth so much more than that.

As I said I suffer from severe scrupulousity when it comes to chastity and this makes my life very hard because I naturally consider any thought or action to do with certain topics to be a sin, and I worry my mind is subconsciously orientated towards doing normal things (such as watching a television programme over another television programme) for purposes contrary to chastity. This makes my life very hard sometimes. Being scrupulous, I understand how it is to have such a cross.

I hope you continue to grow in the faith.

God bless you!
 
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Someone is flagging posts unnecessarily. They are flagging posts that are respectful in tone, but challenge received opinion and present thought provoking questions. I don’t like censorship. Questioning and debate is how we grow. This is my post. I stand by my opinion. Debate me, but don’t flag my words to silence my opinion.

*Tradition, meaning the way things have always been done.

“I grew up Protestant. One of my fondest memories is attending Sunday School. I attended from about age 4 through my teens. My church had Sunday School for all ages. We studied the bible, the word of God. The catechism incorporates the bible, but it is not scripture. The Catholic Church must create opportunities for the laity of all ages to read and study scripture, not just hear it on Sunday at Mass. In CCD classes, the bible needs to be used along with any CCD book. CCD teachers should be required to complete a scripture and cathechism course. They should not just be volunteers. If intensive scripture study, along with study of the catechism was the norm in Catholic Churches, the laity would be equipped to defend the faith. Tradition and fear of ostracism will not keep people Catholic. Tradition and fear will only succeed in losing millions of laity. People are no longer afraid of the hierarchy. Traditions are discarded everyday. Catholics leave the Church because they don’t know the biblical roots of their faith. I suspect that poor catechesis is rooted in a fear of the laity rebelling”.
 
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This is a fairly recent phenomenon. Not exactly sure about what it is.
 
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glencor63 said:
People want to know WHY they should believe ideas, not just WHAT ideas to believe. The laity must be taught WHY.
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This is true. Like I said earlier, we’re more free than ever. The concept of not doing certain things you really, really want to because of ‘sin’ or a higher power doesn’t appeal to a society that accepts any sort of activity that doesn’t directly harm another. All the hot button issues the Church is losing people over to the culture are all related to sexuality, in case nobody noticed!
 
catholic03 said:
Have you thought about perhaps being involved in a ministry to bring others with your cross to the Catholic Church? You could encourage them to accept that acts they commit can not ever be approved, and that they should let go of this identity involving their cross and embrace the beauty of chastity.
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I’m not called to do that, I believe that is something for the clergy. And I think it’s generally unhelpful to just randomly approach them and tell them that the acts they commit are sinful. While all that may be true, I’m not the person for that job. I think before any of that happens you have to introduce people to things like going to mass.

I don’t look down upon gay people who don’t live as I live. I’d like for them to see things from my perspective and that of the Church. I think the key to reaching those people is explaining that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should or that you have to out of some pressure being placed on you by wider society. Outright calling them sinners and fornicators is not going to open their hardened hearts. I’m not saying we should change the teaching. But we really should go about reframing how we discuss gay people who aren’t living by chastity
 
Fair enough. I do feel you should have some ministry in the Church. I suggested eucharistic minister (if it is allowed). I feel it may be beneficial for you to know you are not excluded.

I am glad you have unequivocally declared your support for Church teaching. God bless you.

Just think, you have 60, 70 years of celibacy ahead of you. Think of how holy you will be!
 
The thing that is missing, I believe, is compassion! Those who have committed abortions feel welcomed! Those who have SSA not as much.
 
glencor63 said:
Someone is flagging posts unnecessarily. They are flagging posts that are respectful in tone, but challenge received opinion and present thought provoking questions. I don’t like censorship. Questioning and debate is how we grow. This is my post. I stand by my opinion. Debate me, but don’t flag my words to silence my opinion.

*Tradition, meaning the way things have always been done.

"I grew up Protestant. One of my fondest memories is attending Sunday School. I attended from about age 4 through my teens. My church had Sunday School for all ages. We studied the bible, the word of God. The catechism incorporates the bible, but it is not scripture. The Catholic Church must create opportunities for the laity of all ages to read and study scripture, not just hear it on Sunday at Mass. In CCD classes, the bible needs to be used along with any CCD book. CCD teachers should be required to complete a scripture and cathechism course. They should not just be volunteers. If intensive scripture study, along with study of the catechism was the norm in Catholic Churches, the laity would be equipped to defend the faith. Tradition and fear of ostracism will not keep people Catholic. Tradition and fear will only succeed in losing millions of laity. People are no longer afraid of the hierarchy. Traditions are discarded everyday. Catholics leave the Church because they don’t know the biblical roots of their faith. I suspect that poor catechesis is rooted in a fear of the laity rebelling".
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Actually using a biblical analogy
if sheep aren’t being protected by the shepherd, the sheep get picked off or they wander off.
 
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PatK63 said:
The thing that is missing, I believe, is compassion! Those who have committed abortions feel welcomed! Those who have SSA not as much.
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Catechism 2358 does include the teaching that “They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and
sensitivity.”

So people are failing to follow this, as least based on what is being reported by people on this forum.
 
Yes, no self control regarding human sexuality is being heavily promoted.
 
glencor63 said:
The Catholic hierarchy depended for many, many years on cultural pressure and tradition to keep people in the faith. We live in a skeptical age. No longer do people accept ideas unquestioningly. People want to know WHY they should believe ideas, not just WHAT ideas to believe. The laity must be taught WHY.
Click to expand...
Prior to Vat II we had great teaching on the basics. We knew why we are Catholics. Post Vat II however, relativism & indifferentism & secularism, took hold in society . And I have to say, the Church didn’t come back aggressively against those philosophies and dispositions.
 
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MammaG said:
I’ve been asking the same questions for 45 years and I get shut down every time. I used to be Catholic, but strangely, I can’t support child rape.
I’m also weird about pretending women are somehow not on par with men.
In addition, a multitude of teachings are the opposite of facts.
No contraception is literally insane. I personally know hundreds of victims of poverty due specifically to this twisted misogynistic practice. Women are not livestock.
LGTBQI people are not sinners in any way. If you think they’re broken, your god made them that way - including people who are transgender.
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MammaG,

Scripture condemns those activities

AND​

May I ask, based on your descriptions of yourself,

Which of these are you now, “used to be Catholic, a recovering Catholic, or atheist?”
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MommaG:
In summary, you support child rape, but hate innocent people who are gay.
Guess why people are leaving the church.
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That’s a bit unfair don’t ya think? @(name removed by moderator) wasn’t in support of that. AND, All sin is wrong.
 
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MammaG said:
No contraception is literally insane. I personally know hundreds of victims of poverty due specifically to this twisted misogynistic practice
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You know hundreds of victims of poverty due to the Catholic Church’s view on contraception??? So the hundreds of people are all practicing Catholics. If not, are they non-Catholics who are choosing not to use contraception? If so, how is that the Church’s fault?!

Second, poverty has statistically been linked to those who never graduated high school, had a child out of wedlock and surprisingly, have no steady form of employment.

Again how is any of this the Church’s doing???
 
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